HOUSTON – During any given week, the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County -- or METRO -- moves nearly 1.4 million people around the Houston area. It’s a vast network of trains, buses and multiple rideshare services and connectors that provide transportation for a staggering 1,300 square mile service area.
METRO’s goal is to get riders to their destinations efficiently, and safely. The man in charge of their newest safety efforts: Chief Ban Tien.
As METRO’s Chief of Police, Tien brings 32 years of law enforcement experience to the role. From working as a special agent with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency to serving three combat tours in the U.S. Army and Army Reserves, Tien then served 25 years with the Houston Police Department, most recently as Assistant Police Chief.
In his new role as Chief of METRO PD, Chief Tien is laser-focused on safety.
Each METRO bus and train car is now outfitted with a network of cameras, both on the interior and exterior of the vehicles. Riders are also encouraged to call or text MPD to report anything suspicious by using phone numbers that are posted inside train cars.
The crime rate on METRO is statistically very low, considering there are approximately 76 million million riders every year. One major crime is reported for every 148,000 rides. Tien wants that number even lower.
“If you do bad things, we will find you and we will catch you,” he warned.
Watch the full video to learn more about how Chief Tien and his department are implementing the new safety measures -- both visible and behind the scenes.